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MarLee
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Is anybody familiar with the Assembly of God tenents?
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St_Veronica
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Well it’s the Church I was raised in until age 17…that’s been a few years ago
What is it you want to know specifically? Keep in mind these things vary sometimes from Church to Church…and also the AoG has gotten more liberal in some aspects since I was a member.
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MarLee
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I am working with an older woman who belongs to this religion…she seems to always be quoting ‘parts’ of the Bible so I assume this is a big part of her belief - seems very literal - is very, very committed - goes to Bible Study on Wednesdays and a Sunday morning and then an additional evening service…wouldn’t take a drink or allow it in her home (considers it a violation of the body as a temple of the Holy Spirit), but encourages her daughter in contraception! Refuses to take part on a jury if called, etc. -considers it judgement and the Bible says not to judge, but she doesn’t have any trouble judging some of the other employees…she seems to ‘pick out’ what she wants out of the Bible to support her positions…Just wondering if there is some sort of list of their beliefs…can’t seem to find one…and she is the only person I know who belings to this group…Thanks for any help.
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St_Veronica
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Ok well again there are many variances between AoG Churches and AoG Church members. The world Head Quarters (Springfield Missouri) is an hour SE of where I live …I can’t imagine they don’t have a website of some kind.
However…that isn’t going to represent all AoG Churches. You have those who believe in women’s ordination, those who don’t, those who support speaking in tongues and others that done, you have those who support/allow divorce-remarriage (even for clergy) and then those who are against it.
Birth control was always (and still is) between you and your spouse in the AoG…I grew up being taught it was perfectly fine to take the pill.
Now I never heard of an AoG member refusing to serve on a jury…that must be a personal stance of this co-worker of yours.
Some of them also support the ‘health and wealth’ gospel, not all though.
As far as the ‘picking verses’ …that seems to be common among many non-Catholic faiths, not just the AoG.
Oh they also believe in a literal rapture and a secret rapture …I remember growing up seeing the movies that portray classrooms of children or groups of people etc, and suddenly X number of them just disappear without explaination…they are big on the whole rapture thing.
Hope this helps!
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bengal_fan
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many things differ from church to church, but as far as i know the main tenet are the practice of spiritual gifts, especially tongues. i don’t know one AoG church that doesn’t encourage the practice (and i have been involved in many). most go so far as to say if you don’t speak in tongues you don’t have the Holy Spirit and are therefore unsaved. a pastor in cincinnati was just refused ordination by the denomination because he said that you don’t have to speak in tongues to be saved.
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MarLee
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How could I have forgotten the rapture beliefs??? I think she devoured the “Left Behind” series…
She seemed to approve of the Pope until she saw him in a photo bowing before a statue of Our Blessed Mother and seems to give Mary a very minor role in salvation…had no real comment about “The Passion of the Christ” and Mary’s role…
She also seemed very upset that their youth pastor didn’t come to class bringing a bible to quote from - or even mentioning it during his classes - he seems to prefer teaching through his life experiences which she seems to think is ridiculous…
I guess I was wondering what really sets them apart from other Protestant groups. I know they thought it was terrible if their pastor had a cup of coffee in a restaurant with a woman to whom he was not married… that was even before it was learned that he was not being faithful (nor was his wife) and the pastor was fired and defrocked after their divorce, but he married one of the women, and went on the become a minister in another church - not an AoG church…made me wonder how he could just switch, but it sounds like they are more independent than some other Protestant groups?
I guess I was looking for something like our Catechism.
I have always felt she had a particular dislike for Catholics and thought it would be a good idea to know where she/her church stood on things.
Appreciate all the comments - thanks!
She seemed to approve of the Pope until she saw him in a photo bowing before a statue of Our Blessed Mother and seems to give Mary a very minor role in salvation…had no real comment about “The Passion of the Christ” and Mary’s role…
She also seemed very upset that their youth pastor didn’t come to class bringing a bible to quote from - or even mentioning it during his classes - he seems to prefer teaching through his life experiences which she seems to think is ridiculous…
I guess I was wondering what really sets them apart from other Protestant groups. I know they thought it was terrible if their pastor had a cup of coffee in a restaurant with a woman to whom he was not married… that was even before it was learned that he was not being faithful (nor was his wife) and the pastor was fired and defrocked after their divorce, but he married one of the women, and went on the become a minister in another church - not an AoG church…made me wonder how he could just switch, but it sounds like they are more independent than some other Protestant groups?
I guess I was looking for something like our Catechism.
I have always felt she had a particular dislike for Catholics and thought it would be a good idea to know where she/her church stood on things.
Appreciate all the comments - thanks!
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St_Veronica
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Another thing…they are a breakoff from the Pentacostal Churches (in case you hadn’t guessed). I’m not sure why they broke off or when exactly.
When I was growing up, none of the AoG Churches allowed any divorced person to do anything, they couldn’t even teach Sunday school…the divorced (and remarried) kept very quiet about it.
For instance…my maternal Uncle was married to a woman and they had one son, they divorced but the family stayed close with my former Aunt, we spent alot of time with my former aunt and her new husband (with whom she had another child). So her oldest son was my blood cousin. She went to the same AoG we did and it was always kept quiet about her divorce although many knew about it.
Well when I was in my early 20’s I would run into them now and then (I was Catholic by this point) …one day I ran into my former aunt, her husband and their youngest son with his fiancee…she introduced me to his fiancee as a ‘friend of the family’. I was floored…and insulted. His fiancee didn’t know she (my former aunt) was divorced. I was raised with her boys, we were family…so it really did sting when I was ‘demoted’ .
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Katholikos
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Any documentation you could share about the candidate for ordination that was refused for saying that speaking in tongues wasn’t necessary for salvation? Thanks. JMJ Jay
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MarLee
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It seems strange to me that she has never mentioned speaking in tongues since several replies seem to indicate that is a defining characteristic.
Is there actually a ‘founder’?
Is there actually a ‘founder’?
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St_Veronica
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Well yes there was a founder, since a group of Pentacostals broke away and became AoG…but I can’t remember who.
Some of the AoG downplay the charismatic aspects…but I think most of them expect ‘tongues’.
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iguana27
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I was always told that baptism in the holy spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues was required for salvation.
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St_Veronica
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I’m not sure if that is an official stance or not…it was not openly said/preached at the AoG Church we attended most often…it was a big Church, alot of affluent people went there (we were just average middle class).
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AmandaPS
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St Veronica:
Anyone ever heard this?
I was told that it was a split along racial lines; whites formed the Assemblies of God, and blacks formed the Churches of God in Christ.
Anyone ever heard this?
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iguana27
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St Veronica:
From the A of G website
Can a person receive eternal life in heaven without the baptism in the Holy Spirit? If so, why should we be baptized in the Spirit?
Receiving eternal life does not depend on being baptized in the Holy Spirit; for salvation is by grace through faith alone (Habakkuk 2:4; John 6:28, 29; Galatians 3:6; 5:6; Ephesians 2:8). It is a gift purchased for us by Christ when He was crucified. All we have to do is accept the gift. Just as the repentant thief on the cross next to Jesus was assured of entering paradise that very day we too are assured a place in heaven with the Father if we believe in Jesus Christ. It is most unfortunate that some have said, “Unless you have spoken in tongues you will not go to heaven.” This is not true. It is contrary to the Scriptures.
At the same time, although the Bible does not say the baptism in the Spirit is required for salvation, it does tell us that Christ commanded His first followers to wait for the Holy Spirit to come upon them (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:8). The Bible commands us to “be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18). This personal encounter with the Holy Spirit should be sought and cherished by every believer. With it comes a new and fuller dimension of spiritual understanding and a flow of spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12:9-13).
***I am sure that there are probably a few other things I was taught at our relatively conservative A of G that were not the official line.
God bless,
Iguana
You’re right, this is not the official line:
From the A of G website
Can a person receive eternal life in heaven without the baptism in the Holy Spirit? If so, why should we be baptized in the Spirit?
Receiving eternal life does not depend on being baptized in the Holy Spirit; for salvation is by grace through faith alone (Habakkuk 2:4; John 6:28, 29; Galatians 3:6; 5:6; Ephesians 2:8). It is a gift purchased for us by Christ when He was crucified. All we have to do is accept the gift. Just as the repentant thief on the cross next to Jesus was assured of entering paradise that very day we too are assured a place in heaven with the Father if we believe in Jesus Christ. It is most unfortunate that some have said, “Unless you have spoken in tongues you will not go to heaven.” This is not true. It is contrary to the Scriptures.
At the same time, although the Bible does not say the baptism in the Spirit is required for salvation, it does tell us that Christ commanded His first followers to wait for the Holy Spirit to come upon them (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:8). The Bible commands us to “be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18). This personal encounter with the Holy Spirit should be sought and cherished by every believer. With it comes a new and fuller dimension of spiritual understanding and a flow of spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12:9-13).
***I am sure that there are probably a few other things I was taught at our relatively conservative A of G that were not the official line.
God bless,
Iguana
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St_Veronica
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I’ve never heard this…but I haven’t studied the ‘back history’ of AoG in depth.
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St_Veronica
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AoG doesn’t even believe water baptism is necessary.
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bengal_fan
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no documentation, just have a friend who grew up in the church and his mother told him. it seems the other pastors, in protest, during the ordination ceremony took the pastor out to a local wing restaraunt.
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